


Normalcy

by FangirlofMany9503



Series: Oneshots [28]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Balcony Scene, Because we all love some real down to earth kokichi right, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Kokichi but like without his charade, Kokichi really just needs someone to understand him, Love Confessions, M/M, Oma Kokichi Needs a Hug, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi-centric, Out of Character Oma Kokichi, POV Saihara Shuichi, Post-Canon, Post-Game(s), Sad Oma Kokichi, Saiouma written by a Shuichi kinnie oh joy, Shuichi kinda oblivious ngl, and Shuichi is that person, because i had this vision of Kokichi sitting on the railing while Shuichi hugged him, but its okay we still love him, let them be happy dear god i beg you, right - Freeform, thats literally it, there's also a balcony scene, this was only written because i had a bad day and wanted hurt/comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28748025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FangirlofMany9503/pseuds/FangirlofMany9503
Summary: In which, following the events of the game, Shuichi wakes up to find that everyone is still alive; Kokichi is very traumatized by what happened, and Shuichi helps him begin to heal.
Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Series: Oneshots [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1784173
Comments: 2
Kudos: 93





	Normalcy

**Author's Note:**

> She's back at it again with Saiouma stuff, oh no. Ahem, anyways, COME JOIN MY DISCORD SERVER! The link is in my bio! I'd really love to talk to you guys in a more personal way and this felt like a good way to do that! I hope to see some of you guys there! And now, some slightly angsty, hurt/comfort Saiouma because Lord knows I need that right now. Also, this oneshot is my official submission to the Kokichi Ouma Apologist Club, let me join please

Shuichi wasn't sure what he'd been expecting to wake up to. He'd thought that maybe he would wake up to find himself surrounded by thousands of angry people, or maybe to a world engulfed in flames and toxic fumes. He had not been expecting a whitewashed hospital room.

When he first opened his eyes, he had to immediately shut them again against the bright white ceiling tile above him. With his eyes closed, he listened carefully to the sounds in the room around him. He heard a heart monitor, a clock ticking, and a soft murmur of voices that sounded like they were coming from outside.

Where was he? Was this like Team Danganronpa headquarters or something? How rich was the company to afford such high tech equipment? Not including all of the medical equipment, which was probably highly expensive in its own right, there was a pair of what looked like glasses but attached to wire that he guessed was some kind of virtual reality headset, a flat screen TV on the wall and a computer sitting on a high desk in the corner.

He sat up with just a bit of difficulty. His body felt weak, although that was probably to be expected. How long had he just been lying here in the real world while his consciousness was forced into the killing game?

Oh, god...the killing game! His pulse roared in his ears and his breath quickened at the sudden realization. If everything that had happened was just a simulation, did that mean they were all alive? Was Kokichi...?

"Oi, stop him! Don't let him in there!"

The sudden shouting from outside startled Shuichi, but the door bursting open actually made him let out a small shriek, much to his embarrassment. However, it was short lived as he took in the sight before him. A short boy had burst into the room, white as a sheet, plum colored hair limp, and black circles surrounding their eyes. But despite how horrible he looked, it was Kokichi. And he was crying.

"Shuichi!" He sobbed, throwing himself at Shuichi and burying his face into his chest. He became quickly aware of the fact that both of them were dressed only in thin paper hospital gowns that didn't leave much to the imagination.

"K-Kokichi, I..." He couldn't think of anything to say, so instead he said nothing. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax into Kokichi's embrace, even wrapping his arms around him too as he cried into the fabric of his gown.

He heard someone else enter the room and tightened his hold on the smaller boy, looking up to see who it was. He didn't recognize them. It was a middle aged woman wearing a white lab coat, and she did not look happy. But as Shuichi continued to stare at her, she eventually rolled her eyes and left. Once she was gone, Shuichi returned his attention to Kokichi, who was just now beginning to calm down.

He lifted his head, still hiccuping slightly, rubbing at his bloodshot eyes. "S-Sorry, I kinda lost control of myself."

"It's fine." Shuichi muttered. His voice felt shaky and weak, so he tried not to be any louder than necessary. "But...what are--"

"We've been here for weeks, Shuichi." He said. "Hooked up to those damn virtual reality things, playing that damn killing game. And maybe it was all just fake, but...it felt real. I thought...I died."

"...why did you do it?"

Kokichi let out a dry laugh. More of a scoff, really. "Isn't that obvious?"

"I mean, I have my theories, but I want to hear it from you too."

Kokichi glanced away. Shuichi noticed that he was acting differently than he had in the game. Was that because this was reality? Had Kokichi switched back to the person he was before the game? Did that mean Shuichi would too?

"I can hear the gears in your head spinning." Kokichi mumbled. "I'm still me, I just...don't feel like lying right now. I'm tired."

Shuichi nodded. He could understand that. After all, he'd always suspected that all of Kokichi's theatrics were just that--theatrics, an act, a facade he put on to block out other people. Shuichi knew what that was like all too well. If not for Kaito, he probably would have ended up retreating in on himself during the game, building walls--just like Kokichi did. 

"I did it to save you." He whispered after a few more seconds. Shuichi looked down at him. Kokichi looked bashful, not something Shuichi ever imagined he might see on Kokichi. It was kind of cute. "I knew no matter what you would solve the mystery, so I...made sure you could solve the biggest one. So you could get out alive. That's it."

"You wanted to save all of us, didn't you, Kokichi?"

Kokichi frowned. "I guess...I wanted the killing game to end, but I don't think it was to save everyone. I just hated it." He furrowed his eyebrows and looked up to make eye contact with Shuichi. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"No," he said immediately, without even having to mull it over. No, he didn't think Kokichi was a bad person. He did what he had to do to protect himself and his plan to save them from the game, even taking his own life. Kokichi was one of the bravest people he knew. "You're definitely not a bad person."

"B-But I killed Miu and Gonta!" He sobbed, digging his fingers into Shuichi's gown once again. "I got both of them killed! It was my fault! How could I ever face them again when they know they died because of me?"

"Hey, hey..." Shuichi reached a hand around Kokichi's back and started rubbing soft, soothing circles. "If you hadn't done what you did, you would have died before your plan was complete and no one would have been saved. You had to make hard choices. All of us did. You just happened to get the short end of the stick." He paused, gently rubbing at Kokichi's back while he slowly calned down. He hadn't noticed in the game, but had Kokichi always been so thin and frail? "Besides, no one is actually dead, right?"

"No, everyone is okay. Even Tsumugi is okay, at least according the the lady who was treating me. Turns out the 'mastermind' was just a character too."

Shuichi frowned. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. Sure, Game Tsumugi had put them through literal hell, but if Real World Tsumugi was just her regular self that wasn't so bad, was it? Was everyone else the same, then, too? "So...Kaito and Kaede? They're both--"

"They're fine." There was a harsh bite to Kokichi's voice that startled Shuichi out of his own head. When he looked down, Kokichi was already moving to get up, untangling himself from Shuichi and hopping down from the bed. "I should go. I wasn't supposed to come in here anyways."

"W-Wait, Koki--" But he was already gone.

* * *

Shuichi had decided that the staff members here weren't all that bad. He still thought the company should be taken down, but the people were actually very nice. The majority of the Team Danganronpa staff members he interacted with were sympathetic and understanding. It didn't take long for him to figure out where the disparities arose; if the staff member worked on the show rather than with the characters, they tended to be a lot more hostile towards Shuichi. Which was understandable.

At least he didn't have to interact with those people much. In fact, he'd only had to really talk to them once while going over some legal things that had apparently been signed by his former personality before he entered the killing game. Shuichi really wished he could go back and kick his former personality in the shins. Just what the hell had he been thinking?

As it turned out, Kokichi had been right about the others too. Everyone was alive and well, although they were all emotionally scarred from living through the killing game. Because even though they knew it wasn't real, it had certainly felt real enough to leave scars. They wouldn't be healing from those anytime soon. Even Kiibo turned out to be okay. Well, as okay as an Artificial Intelligence could be. Apparently, Kiibo was a highly advanced AI that had multiple different functions working for Team Danganronpa; the one they'd met in the killing game was just another one. But all of them had the same general personality and shared memories, so seeing the AI Kiibo around the facility was just like seeing the Kiibo from the game, just two dimensional. Plus, he appeared like a normal human boy instead of a robot.

Shuichi was a little worried as to how quickly he became used to staying at the Team Danganronpa facility. They were told they'd have to stay there for the next couple of weeks for observation purposes. They weren't allowed access to the outside world by any means; no cell phones, no internet, nothing. So he had no way of knowing how people were reacting to what he'd done at the end of the game. That was probably the point.

He went to Kaede first. They were both overjoyed to see each other again and spent hours upon hours talking, crying, lamenting to each other. According to her, everybody woke up in the real world just a few hours after dying in the game, so she and Rantaro had both been watching the rest of the game play out. She told him how proud she was of him and he cried some more. He'd really missed hearing her encouragement.

Kaito and Maki were practically inseparable. According to rumors, Kaito had run from his room the second he woke up and tore through every hall until he found Maki's room. Of course, she'd still been unconscious, but he had evidently refused to leave her side until she did wake up. Of course, that was only a rumor he overheard from one of the medical staff, but knowing Kaito Shuichi wouldn't have been surprised if it was true.

He, Kaito, and Maki hung out a lot too. But Shuichi always ended up leaving early when they were together. It was just so blatantly obvious that he was the third wheel. Maki was completely in love with Kaito and he'd be willing to bet his life's savings (Did he even have any? How sad was it that he didn't even know that?) that Kaito was too. Staying around them when they were so clearly in love was just awkward.

It was on one of these days, after leaving the two of them to stare at the night sky together like a sappy drama couple, that he bumped into Kokichi again. They hadn't spoken since Kokichi had burst into his room when he first woke up. He was pretty sure Kokichi had been avoiding him.

Kokichi was sitting on the railing of the balcony outside the common area, swinging his legs and staring out at the water below them. It was a large central fountain with a big water spout in the center, lit up with dozens of small yellow lights in the darkness. He came to a stop beside Kokichi, not saying anything.

Kokichi's shoes made soft clinking noises as they hit the metal rail each time he kicked his feet. They could hear the running water below them. Inside, they could hear people walking around even though it was getting late. It was nice.

"Momota-chan and Harukawa-chan are dating, aren't they?" Kokichi asked out of the blue.

Shuichi gave a half smile. "If they're not already, they should be. They're obviously in love."

"Well, obviously." Kokichi smirked, stopping the kicking. "I could tell Harukawa-chan was head over heels since the third trial."

Shuichi opened his mouth to say something but stopped, pursing his lips as he thought of exactly how he wanted to word the thought that had been plaguing him for the past couple days. "Before...when I woke up, you said you did what you did to end the game and...save me, right? What did you mean by that?"

Kokichi looked at him and smiled. "What do you mean by asking a question like that?" He asked in a singsong voice. "I obviously just wanted to be the one to end the killing game for good!"

Shuichi resisted the urge to sigh. Normal Kokichi was apparently back full throttle, walls and all. "Kokichi, tell me the truth."

"Hm? But I am telling you the truth! I wanted to end the game and I did. That's all. There's not really any need for anything else, is there?"

"You said you wanted to save me. Why me? If you'd said you wanted to save everyone, then maybe--"

"Maybe what?" Kokichi tilted his head in a way that might have seemed playful and teasing, but...Shuichi could see past it. He could see that Kokichi was hurting, really hurting. He could see through the walls. "Maybe you could see some sliver of good, some sliver of humanity in a demon like me? Well, unfortunately for you, Saihara-chan--"

Shuichi cut him off by swiftly wrapping him up in a hug from behind. He heard Kokichi's tiny shriek as he thought he was going to fall from the rail, but Shuichi wouldn't let that happen. He held on tight, resting his ear against the small of Kokichi's back and closing his eyes. "Tell me the truth, Kokichi. You can trust me."

Seconds of silence turned to a minute, then to five. Shuichi continued to stay right where he was. He wanted Kokichi to tell him when he was ready. Finally, he heaved a sigh and his posture relaxed. Shuichi remained where he was.

"Fine," Kokichi's voice was quiet, but it was amplified due to their current position. "My goal was to end the killing game, but not to save everyone. Honestly, I wasn't really thinking about the others at all. I wanted to end the killing game and save you."

"Why though? I thought you hated me?"

"Hated you?" Kokichi's voice cracked. "Shuichi, I--" He stopped, taking a few deep breaths before continuing. "It first started after Kaede's trial. You were just...so amazing. Smart, brave, talented. I couldn't help but start to fall for you. By the time the third trial was over, I was totally in love with you. But I knew there wasn't any point in acting on my feelings. So when I figured out the truth, I decided to enact my plan to make sure you made it out alive even if it cost me my life, which I knew it would. Maki and Himiko just happened to get lucky in joining you."

Shuichi lifted his head and rested his chin on Kokichi's shoulder. "It doesn't matter."

"But--"

"We're all alive now, aren't we? At the end of the day, none of it matters. We all just need to focus on healing from this. Especially you. You deserve to be happy, Kokichi. Even if you may not feel like it."

Shuichi felt Kokichi's frame begin to tremble. He let go so that Kokichi could turn around, but he hadn't expected him to get wrapped up in a huge hug. Kokichi clung to him like a koala, burying his face into the crook of his neck as he broke out in tears. "I l-love you s-so much, Shuichi, I...I don't deserve this!"

"You do, though. You really deserve more, if I'm being honest." He couldn't help the dry laugh that escaped him as he reached his arms up and around to return the embrace.

Kokichi sniffed. They stayed like that for a long, long time. Finally, Kokichi lifted his head and looked at him with red, watery violet eyes. Even filled with tears, Shuichi couldn't help but think Kokichi's eyes were the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen. Especially with the moonlight reflecting in his irises; Shuichi thought he could stare for hours and still find new things to admire.

"Shuichi," Kokichi's voice was soft, barely even a whisper. "Thank you."

"Of course, Kokichi. I'm here for you." He smiled, and Kokichi returned it to some degree.

"Did I mention I'm in love with you?" He asked, a little bit of his usual flirtatious nature returning. Shuichi chuckled.

"You may have mentioned it."

"And? What do you think of that?"

"I think," Shuichi leaned in to hug him again, placing a chaste kiss to his forehead. "The feeling just might be mutual."


End file.
